A protective, or ballistic, vest is typically formed with a front ballistic panel portion and a rear ballistic back portion, which are secured to one another by detachable straps that pass under the arms of the user along the rib cage, and by a pair of shoulder straps that connect upper portions of the front and back portions and pass over the shoulders of the user. Protective vests are conventionally concealed beneath the user's uniform or worn over top of the user's uniform, but present a separate article of clothing from the user's uniform.
In the field, fast removal of the protective vest from the user is a priority for personal attending or treating the user if he or she becomes injured. Removal of the vest, however, requires multiple steps to unsecure the detachable straps that pass under the arms of the user and the shoulder straps passing over the shoulders of the user. For instance, multiple buckles may need to be located and properly disengaged under high pressure situations. Thus, undertaking multiple steps to remove the vest from the user is not desirable when time is of the essence to attend to an injured user and/or remove the user from a potentially dangerous situation.